Railway switch controlling apparatus



May 5, 19.36.

H. NICHOLSON RAILWAY SWITCH CONTROLLING APPARATUS Filed May 27, 1952 p E E g l W P )t 0 I A. v G m B 0.? w 8 B ha fimaMpasam'lzq Del/00 i INIfENTOR.

Frank HMO/201501 HIS A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY swrrcn CONTROLLING APPARATUS Frank H. Nicholson, Edgewood, Pa., assignor to The Union Switch & Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application May 27, 1932, Serial No. 613,955

4 Claims. (01. 246-29) My invention relates to railway switch con- If now relay L is restored to its normal position trolling apparatus, and particularly to apparawherein contacts 26 and 28 are returned to their tus of the type comprising means located on a left-hand positions, motor M will be operated to vehicle and arranged to cooperate with ,means restore switch A to its normal position, the cirlocated in the trackway for controlling a switch. cuit being from terminal B through contact 28,

I will describe one form of apparatus embodymotor armature 21, contact 26, contact 3| which ing my invention, and will then point out the is operated by the switch and is open only when novel features thereof in claims. the switch occupies its normal position, and mo- In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diatorfield winding 30 to terminal C. When. the

grammatic view showing one form of trackway switch reaches the full reverse position this cir- 10 apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2' is a cuit will be opened at contact 3|. diagrammatic view showing one form of 'train- Associated with track relay TD is a repeater carried apparatus suitable for cooperation with relay G, the circuit for which includes front conthe trackway apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 and tact 8 of relay TD, so that relay G will be eneralso embodying my invention. gized or deenergized accordingas relay TD is 15 Similar reference characters refer to similar energized or dee'nergized. parts in each of the views. The reference character H designates a nor- Referring first to Fig. 1, the reference characmally deenergized time measuring device proter l designates a stretch of railway track which vided with a circuit which includes back conis divided by insulated joints 2 to form track sectact (2 of relay G, so thatthis time measuring 20 tions DE, E-Q and Q-F. Located in the secdevice is set into operation when a train enters tion Q-F is a railway switch A by virtue of which section D--E. After a fixed interval of time foltraiiic moving in the direction indicated by the lowing the energization of this device H, its front arrow will proceed on the main track I when the contact M will close.

switch is. in its normal position, and will be Located at a suitable point in section DE, 25 diverted to a branch track 3' when the switch is and preferably very close to the exit end of this in its reverse position. section, is a light responsive device P, which may,

Each track section is provided with a'track for example, be a photoelectric cell. Referring circuit including a battery 35, and a track relay to Fig. 2, the reference character V designates a designated by the reference character T with a vehicle or train travelling on the track rails l 30 distinguishing sufiix. and provided with a sourceof light W arranged Switch A is operated by an electric motor M to project light rays upon the trackway cell P through the medium of a suitable mechanism just before the train passes out of section D-E. which is represented by the dash line 34. This This source of light is provided with a circuit inmotor is. controlled by a polarized relay L having eludin a, battery 32 and a normally open con- 35 a normal winding 6 and a reverse winding 1. As tact U which may be closed manually by the shown in the drawing, the normal winding 6 is engineer. Preferably the source W is provided Energized so ha the polar contacts of relay L with a reflector 33 to direct an intense beam of are swung to their normal positions; the switch light upon the trackway cell P.

A is likewise in its normal position and motor L t d i th trackway is a control relay K 40 M is deene d- Assuming now that IlOrmal having a. pick-up winding 4 and a holding windwinding 6 becomes deenergized and reverse winding 5. The pick-up winding 4 is provided with a ing 1 becomes energized, the 1 contacts of circuit which passesfrom a battery l5 through relay L Will be swung 110 their Tight-hand the photo cell P, front contact l3 of track reverse positions. Motor M will then be operated lay TE, Contact M of the time element device 45 in such direction as to reverse the switch A, the H, and winding 4 to battery I5. The parts of circuitbeing from terminal B of a suitable source this circuit are so arranged that relay K is norf Current, through polar Contact 25 n t rig tmally deenergized, but becomes effectively enerhand position, motor armature 21, polar contact gized to close its front contacts when and only 28 in its right-hand position, contact 29 operated when light from the train carried source W 50 by the switch and open only when the switch is strikes the photocell P. The circuit for the holdin its reverse position, and motor field winding 30 ing winding 5 of relay K is from terminal B, to terminal. C of the. same source of current. through the back point of contact 9 of relay G, When the switch A reaches its reverse position front contact l6 of track relay TF, front contact this motor circuit will be opened at contact 29. I! of relay K, and winding 5 to terminal C. It 55 minal B, through the front point of contact 9 of relay G, front contact 9 of relay TE, front contact ID of relay TF, back contactll of relay K, and winding 6 to terminal C. The reverse winding! of polar relay L is provided with a circuit which passes from terminal B, through front contact I8 of track relay TF, front contact I9 of relay K, and winding I to terminal C.

Located at the entrance end of section Q-E is a high speed 'signal SH and a low speed signal SL, the first or the second of which signal indicates proceed, according as switch Ais in the normal or the reverse position fassuming that track section QF is'unoccupied. The'circuit for the high speed signal SH'is from terminal B,through a contact'20 operated by switch A 'and'closed only when the switch is in the normal position, front contact 2I of track relay 'I'F,

back contact 22 of relay K, and signal SH to terminal C. The low speed signal SL is provided with a circuit which passes from terminal B, through front contact 23 of relay K, contact 24 operated by switch A,".and closed'only when the switch: is in the reverse position, front contact 25 of track relay TF,'and signal SL to terminalC;""'

The time element characteristic of the device H and the location of the cell P in section D-E are such that contact I4 of the device H will not be closed when thetrain reaches cell P unless the train is travelling'at less than a given speed, so that a high speed train can not reverse'switch A.

The operationof the apparatus is as follows:

As illustrated in the drawing; switch A is in its normal position, and all other parts of the apparatus -are in the positions corresponding to this position of the switch.- High speed signal SH indicates proceed. Assuming now that a train moving toward the right enters section DE and is travelling at less than the speed limit referred to hereinbefore, contact I4 of relay H will close before the train-carried light source W reaches the-cell P. If e the contact U is closed when the source -W passes cell P, relay K will become energized, thereby opening at contact I I the'circuit for the normal winding 6 of relay L and closing at contact I9 the circuit for the reverse winding I of this relay. Switch A will then be reversed, signal SH will indicate stop, and signalSLwill indicate proceed. The train will then be diverted from the main track I tothe branch track 3. After the rearrend of the train passes insulated joint 2 in the branch track-3, track relay TF will close, and since relay G has in the mean time become energized and relay K deenergized, the reverse winding I of relay L will be deenergized and the'normal winding 6 will again become energized. Motor M will, therefore, be operated to return switch A toits normal position.

r If the train is to continue on the main track I, the engineer takes no action upon passing the photocell P, so that switch A will remain in its entersisection' Q 1 and will return to the proceed indication when the train leaves this section.

The purpose of the second approach section E-Q, is to open the circuit for the pick-up winding 4 of relay K immediately after a train has passed the photocell P. Assuming, therefore, that section E--Q is occupied by a first train which has not caused switch A to reverse, a second train passing through section DE can not reverse the switch, because the circuit for the pick-up winding 4 of relay K will be open at contact I3 of track relay TE. Of course, if the first train has proceeded into section Q-F and the second train causes relay K to become energized, thisoperation will have no effect on the switch A because the circuit for reverse winding 1 of relay L will be open at front contact I8 of track relay TF.

Although I have referred to the element W on the train as a source of light, it is understood that thisterm' is to be given its broadest significance, namely, that the 'device W isa source of radiant energy, and that it may, therefore, emit light within the visible spectrum, or that it may emit radiant energy beyond the visible spectrum either in the ultra-violetv or the infra-reddirection. In any event the photocell P is designed to respond to the particular type of energy emitted by thesource W. Although I have herein'shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus claim' is:

1. In combination, a stretch of railway track provided with a switch and with a track circuit including a track relay in the rear of the switch, a repeater relay controlled by a front contact of said track relay, a slow pick-up relay controlled described my invention, what I by a back contact of said repeater relay, a control relay having a pick-up winding and a stick winding, a train carried source of light, a circuit for said pick-up winding including a front contact of said slow pick-up relay and a photocell located in the limits of said track circuit, said pick-up circuit being so adjusted that the control relay can be effectively energized when and only when said cell is exposed to light from said train carried source, a circuit for said stick winding including a front contact of the control relay and a back contact of said repeater relay, and means for reversing said switch whenand only when said control relay is energized.

2. In combination, a stretch of railway track provided with a switch and with a track circuit located in the rear of the switch, a photocell located within the limits of said track circuit, a train carried source of light, a normally deenergized control relay, a time element device set into operation when a train enters said track circuit, a pick-up circuit for said control relay closed only when said cell is exposed to light from said source and said time element device has completed its operation, the time characteristic of said device and the location of said cell in the track circuit being such that the relay can not be energized unless the train is moving at less than a given speed, a stick circuit for said relay closed when the relay is energized and said track circuit is occupied, and means for reversing said switch when said control relay is energized.

3. In combination, a stretch of railway track provided with a switch and with a track circuit located in the rear of the switch, a photocell located within the limits of said track circuit, a train carried source of light, a normally deenergized control relay, a pick-up circuit for said relay closed only when said track circuit is occupied and said cell is exposed to light from said source, a stick circuit for said relay closed when the relay is energized and said track circuit is occupied, means for reversing said switch when said control relay is energized, a high speed signal and a low speed signal for said switch, means for clearing said high speed signal when and only when said relay is released and the switch is in normal position, and means for clearing said low speed signal when and only when said relay is energized and the switch is in reversed position.

4. In combination, a main section of railway track containing a switch, a second section in the rear of said main section, a relay, means for operating said switch to one position or the other according as said relay occupies its normal or its reverse position, a first circuit for operating said relay to its normal position, means effective when said main section and said second section are both unoccupied for closing said first circuit, a

second circuit for operating said relay to its re- 1 

